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Water:
Clean Water Restoration Act

Our Position: support
Bill Number: HR2421
Sponsor: James Oberstar (D-MN), John Dingell (D-MI), Vernon Ehlers (R-MI)
Legislative Session: 2007

Two bad Supreme Court decisions and even worse Bush administration guidance following these cases are undermining the Clean Water Act.  The court decisions and guidance are prompting regulators to determine that some small headwater streams and “isolated” wetlands are outside the scope of federal law.  Therefore, polluters can dump waste into them and developers can pave over them without any federal oversight.  Significant waters are at risk.  The EPA has estimated that 20 million acres of wetlands -- 20% of our remaining wetlands -- could lose federal protections.  The drinking water sources of more than 111 million Americans could be at risk because of the EPA’s policy to withhold Clean Water Act protections from headwater and seasonal streams.

The Clean Water Restoration Act would restore protection to all the nation’s waters.  We cannot have safe drinking water or clean rivers, lakes and coastal waters if we fail to protect headwater streams and wetlands.  The bill would codify the mid-1970 rules defining the scope of the Clean Water Act and strike the word “navigable,” which is responsible for these bad court decisions, from the law. 

Action Needed

• Click here to see if your Representative has co-sponsored the Clean Water Restoration Act.
• Please ask your members of Congress to support the bill.

Contact

Ed Hopkins
Director, Environmental Quality
ed.hopkins@sierraclub.org

Background

• Read about the importance of small streams and wetlands

• Read about the connection between headwater streams and safe drinking water (pdf)